Asia Briefing – Vol. 48 No. 01

Catholics in Sri Lanka are celebrating the reception of a reliquary containing a fragment of the arm of St. Sebastian, a martyr of the third century. On Jan. 12, Cardinal Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo received the relics at the city’s airport, accompanied by officials of the diocesan curia, priests, and Catholic members of the Sri Lankan parliament. The reliquary was brought to Colombo by Msgr. Neville Perera, and was a gift from the administrator of the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, Msgr. Enzo Poyiana, who received it from Narbonne, the birthplace of St. Sebastian. The St. Sebastian Shrine is preparing to celebrate its 150th jubilee in 2018, focusing on both renovation of the shrine building and the spiritual and material edification of the impoverished people of Kandana. (CNA)

INDIA. Study finds contraceptives boost breast cancer risk

INDIA. Study finds contraceptives boost breast cancer risk

A study by doctors in India suggests that women who regularly use oral contraceptives face almost ten times greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to other women. “We found long-term use of oral contraceptive pills higher among those suffering from breast cancer-11.9 percent—compared to healthy individuals—1.2 percent,” Dr. Umesh Kapil, a professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ public health nutrition unit, told the Times of India. The study, published in the Indian Journal of Cancer, included 640 women, of whom 320 were breast cancer patients. Researchers found a breast cancer risk 950 percent – 9.5 times – higher in women with a history of using oral contraceptives. Dr. G. K. Rath, the head of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, said the relationship between contraceptive use and breast cancer occurrence is not known. “But there is enough evidence to show the hormonal imbalance caused by them, increasing the risk,” Rath said. (CNA)

MALAYSIA. Church choir seeks to balance Catholic, local traditions

MALAYSIA. Church choir seeks to balance Catholic, local traditions

The “Laudis” chamber choir based in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur is seeking to revive the tradition of sacred music in the local Church, balancing it with an appreciation of local music. “We cannot perform new, contemporary and local music at the expense of the rich heritage that belongs to the Roman Catholic culture; nor can we simply perform the great music of our Catholic heritage at the expense of a local tradition, because we are such a multicultural country,” Shanti Michael, a co-founder of Laudis, said. “Music is considered one of the highest art forms for worship and prayer, and choral music is particularly the epitome of internal participation and prayer,” she added. Listening to sacred choral music performed beautifully facilitates the heart and mind in prayer, Michael reflected. (CNA)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Church in hosts training for journalists

PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Church in hosts training for journalists

The social communications office of the bishops’ conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands recently held a series of seminars training Catholics involved in media about their role in evangelization. “The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea needs to … see how she can be more present and active where modern culture and behavior is shaped and promoted,” said Fr. Giogio Licini, head of the Papuan bishops’ social communications office, told CNA. The courses, which were attended by representatives of seven dioceses, as well as by several religious and laymen, were held at Divine Word National University in Madang, on the north coast of the main island of Papua New Guinea. The Melanesian nation consists of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, as well as numerous other, smaller, islands. (CNA)

THAILAND. Priest urges peaceful path to reform

THAILAND. Priest urges peaceful path to reform

A Catholic priest has urged anti-government protesters in Bangkok to seek justice and reform through peaceful means following a night of sporadic violence in the Thai capital. Addressing several thousand protesters in central Bangkok on Jan. 15, Jesuit Father Vichai Phoktavi prayed for peace and justice in Thailand. “I think that politics and our government in Thailand should be reformed, we need to reduce corruption and there should be more participation from the people,” he told ucanews.com. Fr. Vichai said he was approached by protest organizers on Jan. 14 to help lead an interreligious prayer service to kick off the third consecutive day of citywide protests, dubbed “Shutdown Bangkok” by organizers. He followed on stage a Muslim imam who offered a similar prayer for peace and justice, Fr. Vichai said. (UCAN)

In the lobby of a luxury hotel, Michael Christian Martinez balanced on one leg and swung the other forward. The lanky 17-year-old was on the ball of his foot and looked like he was about to spring upward into the air. “I’ve been in therapy for almost three weeks,” said Martinez. “I’m having this feeling like I need to go. It feels like I’m getting crazy like when I’m not in the ice because I’ve been there and my life (has been) in the ice for so long.” Less than two months before the Winter Olympics, Martinez was off the ice, being treated for an inflamed knee. He said it was one of many injuries likely caused by skating on the rough ice in the Philippines. Martinez, ranked fifth in the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, will be the first skater ever to represent the Philippines in the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, in February. (CNS)

A US bishop who traveled into the Gaza Strip called the situation there “intolerable” and said it must be “addressed by the world community. People are denied their basic rights of movement and the opportunity to experience what we call a ‘normal life,'” Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, said on Jan. 13 as he and other church leaders arrived in Bethlehem, West Bank. Pates, chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, was part of the Holy Land Coordination, an annual event in which bishops from the U.S., Canada and Europe travel to the Mideast to show support for churches there. He called Gaza’s tiny Christian community a “long-suffering people” and said the local Christians were concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for their children. However, he added, parishioners at Holy Family Catholic Church were “extremely grateful” for their visit and their support.” (CNS)

EGYPT. Bishop praises U.S. investment in Egypt's 'human projects'

EGYPT. Bishop praises U.S. investment in Egypt’s ‘human projects’

A US bishop on a fact-finding trip to Egypt said he would tell policymakers back home “the investment of our country in human projects is really going to be the most beneficial of all. Sixty-eight percent of the population here live under the poverty level, and what they want … is to be full participants in the economy, in a way that really represents the dignity of the family and the person,” Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, said on Jan. 10. The bishop, chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said he had visited Cairo and the region around Assuit to see humanitarian aid projects funded by the US Agency for International Development and by Catholic Relief Services, the US bishops’ relief and development agency. The projects included activities to create employment and promote tolerance between Egypt’s Muslim and Christian communities, as well as projects to increase educational facilities for the country’s most vulnerable, the bishop said. He said he also visited a CRS program in Cairo that is helping Syrian refugees find housing and jobs. (CNS)

MALAYSIA. King tells Muslims to stop fighting over trivia

MALAYSIA. King tells Muslims to stop fighting over trivia

The King of Malaysia has called on Muslims to stop engaging in polemics over trivial matters and to bring different views into harmony. In his national Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday) celebration address here Tuesday, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah said it was necessary for Muslims to nurture and strengthen unity so that Islam will not be looked down upon. He said he wanted all Muslims in the country to strive for unity and to harmonize differing views in evaluating any matters. In conjunction with the Prophet’s birthday, Tuanku Abdul Halim also reflected on his success in integrating various races and tribes and making Madinah a reflection of the glory of Islam. The king said unity and excellence may be achieved through the concept of wasatiyyah (moderation) and called on all to make moderation a way of life. (UCAN)

BANGLADESH. New gov’t has no effective opposition

BANGLADESH. New gov’t has no effective opposition

Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League Party formed a new government on Jan. 12 with 49 cabinet members including some opposition leaders. The new government has no effective opposition after the Awami League won last week’s election virtually uncontested, in a poll that was hamstrung by a low turnout, an opposition boycott, deadly violence and widespread international criticism. Three leaders of the JP, Jatiya Party, formerly the third largest political party and now the main opposition, were made ministers. This means the JP is now in both government and opposition, a rare case in the 43-year history of Bangladesh. It is a state of affairs that has drawn criticism from experts, even among the Awami League leadership. (UCAN)

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MYANMAR. Fiefdom openly selling illegal ivory

MYANMAR. Fiefdom openly selling illegal ivory

A tiny fiefdom in northern Myanmar’s Shan state could be one of Asia’s “biggest unregulated ivory markets,” researchers said on Jan. 13. Wildlife group TRAFFIC announced finding more than 3,300 finished ivory pieces and close to 50 raw elephant tusks openly on sale in 27 shops in Mong La, the largest town in Special Region 4, an autonomous region on Myanmar’s northern border with China. The ivory is believed to originate from Africa, passing through China—the World’s biggest end market for elephant tusks—and on to Mong La, a casino town popular with visiting Chinese. The ivory market in Mong La likely ranks among the “most openly displayed” in the region, said Professor Vincent Nijman of Oxford Brookes University who worked on undercover investigations with TRAFFIC. (UCAN)

NEPAL. Crackdown on illegal immigrants threatens 50k with expulsion

NEPAL. Crackdown on illegal immigrants threatens 50k with expulsion

In order to fight tax evasion, Nepal announces zero tolerance for foreign workers without a valid work permit. More than 50,000 people could be expelled from the country, most of them Chinese. On Jan. 12, the government announced a new, stricter policy towards foreigners who entered the country on a tourist visa, but stayed on to work illegally in various sectors, including services, banks and other businesses. Tax losses from illegal workers cost US$ 40 million a year. Foreigners now have 90 days to regularize their position. After the deadline, those without a permit could be fined, jailed or expelled from the country. So far, only 9,920 workers have received a permit. About 80 per cent of foreign workers are believed to be from China, this according Barun Kumar Jha, director of the Department of Labor. The new rules on immigration are creating tensions between Beijing and Kathmandu. (AsiaNews)